The Heisman Trust revealed Monday that Alabama running back Derrick Henry, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey are the finalists for this year’s award, and all three appear to have realistic chances to win. “It’s been a dream”.
Advertisement
There were just three finalists for the 2014 Heisman Trophy, as Oregon’s Marcus Mariota won over Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Alabama WR Amari Cooper.
The victor will be announced December 16.
“Does he deserve to be considered?” McCaffrey scorched the Trojans defense for 207 rushing yards and a touchdown, 105 receiving yards and a score, while also adding a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. McCaffrey finished the season as the FBS leader with 3,496 all-purpose yards, breaking the single-season record held by 1988 Heisman victor Barry Sanders. Certainly we’d see five invitees, the most common number since finalists began being named in 1982 and extra chairs were set up inside the confines of those oak paneled walls.
Shaw led Stanford to its third Pac-12 Conference title in the past four years on Saturday night by beating USC, 41-22. That’s something you can’t dance around.
In the dark horse nature of his Heisman campaign, McCaffrey is not alone. He became Stanford’s fourth finalist in the past seven seasons.
Yes, he faded down the stretch while Alabama junior running back Derrick Henry had four phenomenal games when the spotlight was shining the brightest. His yardage total broke the 34-year-old single-season SEC record set by Georgia great Herschel Walker in 1981.
PULLING RANK: If your measure of a player’s Heisman worthiness is how battle-tested they were against top competition, it’s hard to ignore the gauntlet of ranked teams that Henry faced this season.
Henry and Watson were viewed as second-tier candidates throughout the offseason.
Fournette did not receive an invitation to be in New York City, when the Heisman will be handed out on Saturday.
“This is such a surreal moment”. No one else had more than eight. Clemson must first play Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl while Alabama will play Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl.
The Skinny: Henry is the odds-on favorite and he didn’t do anything to change that during championship weekend.
Advertisement
The Skinny: Stanford head coach David Shaw is admittedly biased, but he has a strong stance about his running back, Christian McCaffrey. Considering he is not even a year removed from ACL surgery, Watson’s perseverance and strength that he displayed all season will likely be factors that voters take into consideration.
